Lathyrus odoratus - this is the scientific name given to a beautiful tender plant, popularly referred to as sweet pea. If the Latin name is translated literally, it means "very fragrant and attractive." This is exactly what sweet peas are, belonging to the Chin genus of the legume family.
Gardeners choose it to decorate their flower beds because of its wonderful delicate aroma, and the fact that it blooms from 3 to 5 months only makes it even more charming in their eyes.
Description of the plant
For the first time, the fragrant rank was described by K. Linnaeus in 1753. It is divided into annual and perennial varieties. Many summer residents prefer the second variety of sweet peas (plant photo below) to decorate fences, decorative arbors or arches. Such attachment to a modest, at first glance, flower is caused by its qualities:
- Tap root system that can go as deep as 1.5 m. To better nourish the roots at this depth, the plant creates a symbiosis with bacteria that can absorb nitrogen from the air.
- The ability of a sweet pea stem to climb a support up to 2 m in height attracts gardeners and landscape designers. Its large flowers with a pleasant subtle smell can decorate any wall or other vertical surface and hide defects on it.
- Sweet pea flowers can grow in one place up to 10 years, which frees the gardener from having to correct something in the design of his flower garden.
- The plant is able to withstand temperatures down to -5˚С, which not only saves it from sudden spring frosts, but also allows it to bloom until the first autumn ones.
- In the wild, the rank is found exclusively with lilac flowers, but thanks to breeders, single-color white, pink and other colors are available to gardeners, as well as two-color and double flowers.
- This is a photophilous plant, but does not tolerate heat well. If the climate is dry, then sweet peas can drop buds without the proper amount of moisture in the soil.
Spread throughout Europe and then the world, the Mediterranean beauty china has been winning the hearts of flower growers for hundreds of years with its unusual, boat-like flowers with a delicate pleasant aroma.
Varieties of Lathyrus odoratus
Wild species of sweet peas are still found in Sicily, and the remaining garden groups of the rank (there are 10 of them) consist of 1000 varieties that enjoy the well-deserved love of flower growers. The most famous of them are:
- Duplex - representatives of this group can be found more often than others on personal plots as a decoration for fences. Considered the best variety as it does not require much care, but is also loved for its beautiful fragrant flowers in the shape of a cream-colored double sail.
- Galaxy - the group was grown in 1959, the most popular in its composition are "Neptune" and "Milky Way". The variety is distinguished by a stem up to 2 m in height, large, fragrant, most often double flowers. It is used for landscaping arbors and decorative arches. Also, varieties of the Galaxy group go for cutting, as they have a strong stem. Sweet Pea 'Milky Way', like other cream or white varieties, can be grown outdoors without any seed preparation, while blue 'Neptune' seed will require pre-soaking.
- Spencer is a group that includes varieties of sweet peas for cutting or decorating the territory. Plants belonging to this group have a strong stem up to 2 m in height, large double corrugated flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. They belong to varieties of medium flowering time.
These are far from all groups and chinas included in them, but they do not differ much from each other in the ways of growing and caring for them.
Growing seedlings
Lathyrus odoratus is grown in seedlings, but since it has tight seeds, they should be prepared before sowing. Forafter that, they are placed in warm water for 12 hours (you can use the Buton solution in a ratio of 2 g per 1 liter of water), after which they can be kept in wet sawdust or sand for several days, after wrapping them in gauze. The temperature required for sweet pea seeds to “hatch” should be in the range of +20-24˚С.
For sowing already prepared material, both purchased soil (for example, the Rose mixture) and prepared independently from peat with humus and soddy soil in a ratio of 2:2:1 are suitable.
If the latter option is taken as the basis, then the substrate must first be impregnated with a solution of potassium permanganate. The prepared soil is poured into a container (it can be ordinary disposable cups), 2 cm deepenings are made in it, into which hatched seeds are thrown, usually 2-3 pieces, and sprinkled.
If a seedling box is taken as a container, then a distance of 8 cm should be observed between the seeds. After sowing the seeds, water the soil, cover the box with foil and put it on the windowsill on the sunny side.
Seedling care
If the first 2 weeks, until the sprouts have hatched, which can happen earlier, you need to keep the containers with sowing under the film at + 20-22˚С, then as soon as the green growth appears, it must be removed, and the temperature reduce to +16˚С.
During this period, it is important to keep the substrate in which the sweet pea was planted, at all times in a slightly moistened state. At this stage, young shoots need light, so if notthe ability to install containers on a sunny window, you need to turn on the lighting above them for at least 4 hours a day. For this “procedure”, both a special fitolamp and ordinary daylight are suitable.
When the seedlings have 3 true leaves, they need to be fed with a solution of mineral fertilizers "Kemira" (2 g / l of water) and pinched. This will encourage the plant to sprout side shoots.
Place and soil for planting
Although many varieties of sweet peas tolerate small frosts down to -5˚С, planting in the ground should be carried out when the threat of their return has passed, that is, at the end of May. Experienced flower growers note that if by this time the plant has already bloomed, then the whole color must be plucked so that the plant does not waste strength and energy on buds, but focuses on the formation of the root system.
10 days before planting in the ground, young shoots should be allowed to get used to being outside, for which it should be taken out on warm days for the purpose of hardening.
When choosing a site for planting, you need to stay in a sunny place without drafts with well-fertilized and drained soil. Dry manure or mineral fertilizers are suitable as top dressing (nitrogen top dressing is not needed for this plant).
On the prepared site, you need to make holes at a distance of up to 25 cm from each other, plant 2 (maybe 3) plants in each, sprinkle with earth and water. If the sweet pea variety is tall, then abouta support for its stem needs to be taken care of in advance.
Growing Rules
Both planting and caring for sweet peas do not require much time. The main requirements that he makes are watering. Keep the soil slightly moist at all times.
In order for the rank to grow in open ground with a strong stem, you should begin to tie it up at the first signs of intensive upward growth. This will help the plant to stretch to its full length. You also need to remember that the stems of sweet peas without proper care can become densely intertwined, which will lead not to a beautiful wall or gazebo entwined with flowers, but to wild lush thickets.
Experienced flower growers note that if you cut off some of the flowers from the rank during the summer, then its flowering will last until the end of September.
Rules of care
Having planted sweet peas on the site, you should be prepared for the following:
- If the plant is planted in the shade or is illuminated only in the afternoon, then its flowering will come 2 weeks late.
- Water for the chin should not be more than once a week, but for 1 m2 30-35 liters of water will be required.
- Sweet pea needs 3 top dressings, which are distributed in the following stages:
- When the seedlings were transplanted into the ground, they will need a mixture of urea and nitrophoska in equal proportions (1 tablespoon) per 12 liters of water for quick rooting and growth.
- When the plant begins to bloom, it will needstrength, which will give fertilizing "Agricola" with potassium sulfate (1 tbsp. L / 10 l of water).
- During the flowering period, a mixture of "Agricola" and "Ross" is suitable for flowering plants (for flowering plants, st. l / 10 l of water). It should be noted that this solution will require 3-4 liters per 1 m22.
Chine does not need pruning, it is only necessary to tie up the growing stems in time and remove wilted leaves from them
In order for sweet peas to endure the winter well, you need to cut off its stems, and cover the remaining small shoots with sawdust.
In conclusion
The video below will help you learn more about planting and caring for sweet peas.
Sweet peas are a frequent "guest" not only on personal plots, but also on window sills and balconies. Its unpretentiousness, beautiful large flowers with bright colors and a light aroma can create a romantic atmosphere both in the apartment and in flower beds, and in the rotunda in the country.
